Route planning, explained step by step.
Practical how-tos for anyone with a list of addresses and a day on the road. No jargon, and every step works on the free plan.
- Free for up to 50 addresses
- No credit card
- No app to install
The short answer
Updated
To plan a route with many stops, put your addresses in one list, decide where the day starts and ends, let a route optimizer put the stops in the shortest order, then send the route to the phone that's driving it. Google Maps handles up to 10 places in the order you enter them; Lite Route Planner handles up to 500 stops per route, reorders them in one click, and is free for up to 50 addresses.
- Google Maps multiple stopsHow to add multiple stops on Google Maps.Add, reorder and drive up to 10 places in Google Maps on a computer or phone, and what to do past that.Read more
- Google Maps 10-stop limitHow to plan more than 10 stops with Google Maps.Split a long route into 10-place trips, chain My Maps layers, or optimize the whole list and drive it in Google Maps.Read more
- Google Maps optimizationDoes Google Maps optimize routes with multiple stops?Google Maps keeps stops in the order you type them. Here's how to get an optimized order you can still drive in Google Maps.Read more
- MapQuest multiple stopsHow to plan a route with multiple stops on MapQuest.Plan up to 26 stops in MapQuest, let it reorder them, and know which stops stay fixed.Read more
- Apple Maps multiple stopsHow to add multiple stops on Apple Maps.Add up to 15 stops to an Apple Maps driving route on iPhone, and get the order right before you go.Read more
- Waze multiple stopsHow to add stops on Waze, and drive a route with many.Add the one stop Waze allows, then drive a longer route in Waze one stop at a time.Read more
- Plan a multi-stop routeHow to plan a route with multiple stops.Six steps from a list of addresses to a route in a short order, on the driver's phone.Read more
- Best free route plannersThe best free route planners for multiple stops in 2026.Nine free route planners compared on stop limits, optimization and import, with who each one suits.Read more
- Mapping Excel addressesHow to map addresses from an Excel spreadsheetPlot an Excel list on a map with Google My Maps, Excel map charts or a route planner, and see which one also gives you a route.Read more
- Plan delivery routesHow to plan a delivery route from a spreadsheetTurn the day's order export into delivery routes: import, group by area, optimize and send to drivers.Read more
- Route planning templateA route planning spreadsheet template that imports cleanlyA free nine-column CSV template for route planning, with what each column does and how to keep addresses clean.Read more
- Sending routes to driversHow to send a route to a driver's phoneGet a whole route onto a driver's phone with a browser-based driver app, a view-only link or a QR code.Read more
- Weekly service routesHow to plan recurring weekly, biweekly and monthly routesKeep one master customer list, tag each customer by day or week, and pull a fresh, optimized route out of it each day.Read more
- Overdue customersFind the customers you haven't visited lately, on a mapColor the map by last visit, filter to overdue customers, and turn them into a catch-up route.Read more
- Splitting stops into routesHow to split a list of stops into routes for several driversDivide a stop list between drivers by area, optimize each route, and balance them by drive time.Read more
- Round trip routesPlan a round trip route that starts and ends in the same placeSet a route to Round trip, or start and end at a saved base, and optimize the loop so the drive home is short.Read more
- Route planning costsHow much does route planning software cost?What route planners charge per driver, user, order, stop or credit, with monthly costs for 1, 5 and 10 drivers.Read more
Your next route is two minutes away.
Make a free account, add a few stops and press Optimize. That's the whole lesson.
Free for up to 50 addresses · No credit card · Nothing to install